Spacer or justifier for linotype-machines.



PATENTED MAY 5, 1908.

A. DOW. SPACER 0R JUSTIFIER FOR LINOTYPE MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10, 1908.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

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PATENTED MAY 5, 1908.

A. DOW.

SPACER 0R JUSTIFIER FOR LINOTYPE MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10, 190B.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED STTES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER DOW,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO MERGENTH'ALER LINOTYPE COM- PANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SPACER OR JUSTIFER FOR LINOTY PE-MAGHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 5, 1908.

Original application filed June 28, 1907, Serial No. 881,275. Divided and this application filed January 10, 1908. Serial No. 410,149,.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthatI, ALEXANDER Dow, of the city of New York, county of New York,

and State of New York, have invented a new gating or justifying a composed line of ma-.

trices to a predetermined length.

In commercial Mergenthaler machines, and kindred machines of the present day, it is customary to employ for this purpose circulating s acers consistin of oppositely tapered we ges connected by a longitudinal slidin joint so that they ma be introduced into t e line as a unit, an thereafter expanded in the line by moving the longer wedge through the line past its companion, while the latter is held against longitudinal movement, as shown for example, in Letters Patent to Mergenthaler N 0. 345,526. Owing to the presence of the connecting joint, it is difficult to construct these spacers with the necessary precision at a satisfactory cost, or of the desired minimum thickness.

The object of my invention is to overcome these difiiculties while retaining all they advantages incident to the use of two cooperating wedges, and to this end consists in a spacer comprising two unconnected wedges such as hereinafter described, adapted to be separately circulated and introduced into the line for joint action.

In the accompanying drawings,Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views of the two parts of my justifier separated from each other. Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views of said parts looking against the opposite side. Figs. 5 and 6 are cross-sections of the shorter wedge on the correspondingly numbered lines of Figs. 1 and 3. Fig. 7 is an edge view of the same. Fig. 8 is a vertical central section on the line 8-8 of Figs. 1 and 3. Fig. 9 is a View illustrating a composed line of matrices with my spacers or justrfiers therein together with su ports therefor, the spacers being in their original or lowermost positions, and the line unjustified. Fig. 10 is a cross-section on place the line 1010 of the precedin figure. Figs.

11 and 12 are views similar to igs. 9 andlO, with the longer wedges elevated and the line justified. F ig. 13 is a perspective view of a matrix such as I prefer to use in connection with my spacers. It forms no part of my present invention and is shown in order that the mode of using the justifier and the object of its variouspeculiarities may be the more readily understood.

Referring to the drawings, A and B represent the two parts of my ustifier consisting of opgositely tapered wedges adapted to be side by side in the matrix line for oint operation in expanding the same.

The shorter member A is of a rectangular form in its general outline, with vertical edges a anda of uniform thickness from the u per to the lower ends. One of the vertical e( ges is cut away for a portion of its length in such manner as to leave the rotrudmg ears or shoulders a and a", which are utilized to lock the matrix against vertical movement in the line. The opposite vertical edge is provided near the upper end with a notch 0 designed to cooperate with supporting and alining devices provided in the machine.

In one face the member A. is longitudinally recessed or channeled in such manner as to reduce its thickness from the u per toward the lower end, as plainly shown 1n Figs. 3, 5, 6, 8, &c., so that in central cross-section, the body presents a wedge-form, as shown most clearly in Figs. 1 and 8. It is to be noted that this reduced or wedge-shaped ortion is of a width less than'the extreme wi( th of the part A, and that it extends on one side to the edge a, and on the op osite side only to the base of the notch at Owing to this fact, vertical shoulders or ledges a. and a. exist on one side ofthe part A to admit and assist in guidin the member B, as hereinafter explainer it is to be observed that althou h-the cen- 95 tral portion of the member is of iminishin thickness from the upper to the lower en the edges are parallel and adapted for uidsince in the ordinary grooves or channels of azine to the composed line, and thence back through the distributing mechanism to the magazine in essential] the same manner that the matrices are circul ated, as understood by those skilled in the art. I

The member B is of increasing thickness from the upper to the lower end, and of a taper ing to the ta )er of the middle portion 0 the part A, so that when the two are laid together face to face, their outer faces will be parallel.

The lower or bod 1 portion of the part B is made with vertical arallel edges, and of such width that it will fit snu ly within and against the recessed side of t e member A between the vertical shoulders a and a with one edge of the part B flush with the edge a of the other member.

The up r end of the member B is widened edgewise 1n such manner as to form the supporting ears or shoulders I), and the upper end is also made of a thickness greater than the upper part of the tapered portion, and this in order to give it increased stren th and to afford surfaces of such thickness t at the s acers may be operated with certainty by tile distributing mechanism and by the devices which release them from their magazines that they may ass to composed lines.

The increased thic ness of the upper end, or head, of the member B ives an mcreased thickness to the ears, b, which are required to cooperate with the devices for separating the spacers and delivering them one at a time from their magazine holder. If made as thin as the upper end of the tapered portion they could not be properly controlled.

When the parts A and B are united for use, the u per thickened portion of the member B wil extend considerably above the part A, and it is this fact which admits of the upper end being thickened.

The principal advantage of this construction lies in the fact that it admits of the spacer as a whole being reduced to the extreme thinness require in practice, without unduly weakening the upper ends, and without leaving these ends so thin as to interfere with the propler action of the cooperating parts by whic they are handled in the machine.

In practice it .is frequently necessary to use justifiers which present a minimum thickness not exceeding .0025 of an inch. Under the construction shown it is possible to so form the arts that when the upper end of the member B is seated within the member A, their joint thickness will not exceed the figure named.

In the use of my spacers, the machine is adapted to introduce the members A and B successively to the line in course of com osition. I refer to introduce the mem er A first, w ich is immediately followed by the member B.

The sup orting devices for the line are so eonstructe as to sustain the members A and the adjacent matrices, and revent them from movin vertically while t e members B are free to be thrust upward through the line pastthe members A so as to resent a radually increasing thickness in t e line, or in other words, so as to expand or increase the thickness presented by the two parts in the line.

' The devices for sustainin r the matrices and spacers and for operating t e latter and con fining the line endwise, may be of any suitable construction, but an appropriate construction is shown in Figs. 9 to 12, in'which C and C represent horizontal opposing sup-. ports each with a flange along its upper and ower'edges. These supports are arranged at such distance apart that the line of matrices D and spacer members A introduced endwise between them, will be sustained by the lower flan es, engaging under the shoulders at and in t e notches a. The wedge members B will, however, rest upon the upper flanges of the guides and be sustained independently thereby, so that they m'a be thrust upward through the line at will, t ematrices and the members A being held down by the guides.

The upper flanges of'the guides overla pin the matrices and the members A, may e utilized to assist in holding them down, and to insure greater accuracy in alinement.

In the course of operation, the assembled unjustified line.is presented between jaws or abutments E,.which determine the len th of line, after which the members B are riven upward throu h theline, thereby elongating or justifying t e same against the jaws E,'as shown in Figs. 11 and 12.

I propose to usein connection with .the matrices, a mold F similar to those in common use. It is adapted to fit against the op erative edges of the matrices D, against one edge of the members B, and against the ed e a of the members A, whereby the face of tfle mold is tightly closed to prevent the'escape of molten metal. I

It is to be observed that ressure is brought directly against the rear ed and the spacer members A by a pressure-bar G, or equivalent pressure device, and that vertical shoulders a of the members A serve in turn to force the members B a ainst the mold. It is this fact which ren ers these shoulders a feature of special importance.

It is to be noticed that although the wedges A, B, are designed for cooperation, they are wholly unconnected,so that they ma be independently or separately transporte to and from the line.

The parts are of such form that they may be cheaply and accurately made.

' In ractice, the members of the justifier must e hardened and ground with great recision. The absence of longitudmal s ots ges of the matrices and grooves admits of the parts being cheaply made and avoids the danger of their being fractured when in use or during the hardening operation.

Having described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent l. The justifying wedge A, having its outer vertical edges of uniform thickness, and having also an inclined longitudinal recess in one side from end to end, in combination with the unconnected wedge B adapted to fit closely within said recess and provided with support ing ears-at the upper end.

2. A wedge-member B for a justifier, consisting of the body portion with parallel vertical edges reduced in thickness toward the upper end, andhaving its upper extremity increased 1n thickness and provided with sus taining ears I).

3. In a justifier, the combination of two unconnected wed e-members A and B, the former having a on itudinaltapering recess in one side to admit the latter, and the latter having its extreme upper end thickened to overhang the member A and provided with supporting ears.

4. In an expansible spacer, the member A having a lo tudinal tapering recess in one side from en to end, the longitudinal shoulder a, and the indented vertical edge a, in combination with a ta ered mem adapted to fit within sai recess and to pre sent one edge flush with the'edge a.

5. In combination with wedge-members B and corresponding members A recessed to receive the same, and provided with vertical shoulders 07, a cooperating mold and pressure device arranged to act againstv the rear edges of the members A, whereby they are caused in turn to hold the members B mold.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand this nineteenth day of December, 1907, in the presence of two attest' witnesses.

ALEXAND R DOW.

Witnesses:

A. V. R. BARMWALL, WILLIAM F. SMAIL.

ber B,

against the 

